1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a special-document discriminating apparatus used for providing a counterfeit preventing function to a digital copy machine and the like, and to a managing system for an image forming apparatus having a special-document discriminating function.
2. Background of the Related Art
In recent years, color copy machines have been generally used. In the color copying technology, the image processing technique has been highly developed, and thus a precise copy, which cannot be distinguished from the original, can be obtained even for paper money having a complex design. To this end, in order to prevent counterfeiting, an apparatus which discriminates a special document such as a bill of paper money and prohibits copying when an original is determined to be the special document has been developed.
A special-document discriminating apparatus is described, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2-83571. The apparatus described in the literature is adapted to discriminate a special-document using the pattern matching method. That is, a pattern of an image input to the apparatus is compared with preregistered pattern data in the apparatus, and it is determined whether or not the input image pattern corresponds to the registered pattern. The preregistered pattern is a pattern of a document (such as a sheet of paper money) of which duplication is prohibited.
Additionally, another apparatus is described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2-210591, which apparatus performs a discrimination similarly to the above mentioned apparatus. In this apparatus, an approximate position of a document (in this case, a sheet of paper money) is determined first by detecting a watermark of the document (paper money). The exact position and the angle of the paper money is then determined by detecting the four corners of the paper money sheet. Thereafter, the degree of resemblance is obtained by means of pattern matching in accordance with image data of the paper money and the registered pattern data, and thus it is determined whether or not the document is a predetermined document of which duplication is prohibited.
In the above-mentioned conventional apparatuses, when new paper money is issued, new pattern data corresponding to the newly issued paper money must be added to the registered paper money pattern data. In order to achieve this, it is required to replace the paper money discriminating apparatus itself or the controlling circuit board of the paper money discriminating apparatus is replaced with a new one. That is, when new paper money is issued, a maintenance person must make a visit to the site where the copy machine is installed so as to replace the paper money discriminating apparatus or the controlling circuit board thereof. This replacing work requires a large amount of labor and man-hours. Accordingly, there is a problem in that when new paper money is issued, a high maintenance cost is created for maintaining paper money discrimination apparatuses.
Additionally, since the above-mentioned conventional image forming apparatuses are in standalone form, only the act of duplication is prevented when a duplication of a paper money and the like is attempted, and thus the level has not been reached where a counterfeit is prevented beforehand or tracing of a counterfeit product can be performed by managing counterfeit information.